Ruffled Turkey Tee

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Sew a cute t-shirt for a little girl in your life to wear this Thanksgiving. This ruffled turkey tee is so easy to stitch up. Let’s get started!

I love creating seasonal shirts for my kiddos, and this little turkey tee was borne of my latest ruffling obsession. What a fun way to celebrate Thanksgiving in style!

Before continuing reading about this project, check out this post on a super easy ruffling method I use that makes ruffling your strips a breeze.

For this project, you will need…

Fabric in various patterns

Fusible web (I use Heat and Bond Lite)

Light- or medium-weight fusible interfacing

Washable ink pen

Basic sewing supplies: Coordinating thread, machine, shears, etc.

Optional: Ribbon, pinking shears

step 1 Create your turkey templates by sketching a bowling pin shape, an oval for the tummy section, and a cone shape for the beak. (The size of these templates will depend on your personal preference.) Cut pieces of your chosen fabric just larger than your templates, as shown. Adhere fusible web to the back of each fabric piece, then trace each of your templates onto the paper backing of its respective fabric piece. Cut your shapes out (I used pinking shears to cut out the tummy piece for added interest), and set the tummy and beak pieces aside.

step 2 Using your machine’s scallop stitch, use a scrap piece of fabric until you find a scallop size that you can use for your turkey’s eyelashes. Measure the width of this scallop, and then use a washable ink pen to mark the width of your scallop on your main body piece for each of your turkey’s eyes, as shown. Use these marks as guides to stitch a scallop for each eye. (You should start precisely at the rightmost mark for each eye, and end at the left mark.)

step 3 Position your tummy and beak pieces on your main body piece. Remove the paper backing, and iron them into place according to the fusible web package instructions.

step 4 For your tail, sketch a template for your individual tail pieces that is more narrow at the bottom than it is at the top. Round the top and bottom edges slightly, as shown. Your template should be about one and a half times as long as your main body piece. (The pieces will be the shape of a megaphone.) See diagram below.

Cut your template out; trace onto the back of your turkey tail fabric with a washable ink marker, and cut the pieces out. (I used pinking shears to keep the pieces from unraveling excessively during washing.) You will need 7 tail pieces total. Using the ruffling method linked above, ruffle each of your tail pieces, starting at the narrow end and working to the top.

step 5Arrange your ruffled pieces as shown on your piece of interfacing. (They will come together to look like a fan.) Trim the interfacing so it is just larger than the perimeter of your fan.

step 6 Starting with the outermost tail pieces, pin them into place as shown. Starting at the wide end of one of your pieces, stitch directly over your ruffling stitches to affix the ruffle to your interfacing. When you reach the point formed by the two pieces, pivot, then continue stitching up the center of the next tail piece to secure it as well.

step 7Pin your next ruffle pieces in the same manner, overlapping the edges slightly with the preceding tail pieces, as shown. Stitch as you did in step 6. Continue pinning and stitching in this manner until all of your tail pieces are secured. (Your final piece should fall directly at the center of your tail and be straight up and down, as shown.)

step 8 Stitch all the way around your tail in a fan shape, about 1/8″ from the outer edge. Carefully trim just outside of this stitching, taking care not to snip any of the threads as you go.

step 9 Iron your tail piece onto your top, positioning it as desired. Stitch a scant 1/8″ inside of the stitching you did in step 8 to secure your tail to your top. Position your turkey body on top of your tail, and iron it into place. Stitch to secure the body to your top, making sure to stitch around the body, tummy and beak pieces so they don’t lift up later on. If desired, accessorize your turkey with a bow.

Isn’t she a beauty?? I am loving those lashes! Admittedly, she looks a bit like a peacock, but I suppose that just means Charlotte will get more mileage out of this shirt even after Thanksgiving has come and gone.

Helpful hints and tips:

To wash your tee, turn inside out and launder using a delicate cycle. Lay flat to dry.

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